My family of 4 rented bikes from Bay City using a Groupon. The girl at the counter had to call and get someone to put it through which wasnāt a problem. They have 2 locations and the employees go back and forth between them. Two young people with Irish accents checked us out and they were great. The were super friendly and helpful and showed us the route we would be taking to cross the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito. The showed us locations where there were hills and other useful information. We didnāt have a reservation but that wasnāt a problem since they have a ton of bikes. We picked out a helmet and a gentleman got our bikes for us. We are a tall family so it took a little bit to get 4 that weāre properly adjusted for us. The guy who got our bikes was great. He was through and made sure the tire pressure was good, we had bungies for our bags and bike lock. Honestly this guys needs a raise. He definitely needed help with all the people wanting bikes, but he hustled and did his job like a pro. He had us take a quick spin around to make sure everything was ok with the bike, which it was and we were on our way. The bikes were great. They were traditional gear bikes and we all felt they were in good condition and easy to ride.
We are bike riding family so this itinerary may be a little ambitious for someone who doesnāt ride all the time.
We left Bay St towards the Wharf area. Biked past Boudins Bakery towards pier 39 past the sea lions. Past Aquatic Park, Ghiradelli Square to the Palace of Fine Arts. Took a little break and walked around. Headed back towards Crissy Field and across the Golden Gate Bridge. The left side is designated for bicycles on the weekends which is great. The views are unbelievable. Iād suggest having a sweatshirt just in case, since it does get windy. Be sure to keep to the right because people are traveling back over the bridge on the left side. In addition youāll get some cyclists who are flying past you like they are in a timed race. Once over the bridge youāll be going down hill into Sausalito. The trail from the Wharf to Sausalito in easy to follow. Itās clearly marked , and as long as you keep the bay to your right you canāt get lost. In addition there are tons of other cyclists going the exact same way.
We parked our bikes near the park with the fountain with the two elephants at the entrance. Pretty much where everyone else parks their bikes and we spent a few hours in Sausalito, did some shopping, had lunch and just admired the beauty of Sausalito.
We took the ferry back. You can buy the tickets right outside the Blue and Gold Ferry at a kiosk.
Line up at least 30 minutes in advance to make sure you get on. The guy who is in charge of the bikes is militant. But I guess he has to be to keep things moving and on time.
Once off the Ferry itās a quick 5 minute ride back to Bay City Bikes. They give a quick check of the bike and your done. The same young people were there when we returned and were just as friendly as before and asked how his trip was.
Definitely give Bay City Bikes a try. It was the best part of our trip to San Francisco.